Seal.



N.- H'. TUNKS.

v SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.31, 1910.

Patented Feb.27, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON H. TUNKS, 0F LIMA, OHIO.

SEAL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NELSON H. TUNKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Seal, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a seal of simple, durable and inexpensive construction, ,that may be formed complete of a single piece of sheet metal, and then may be readily, quickly and easily applied to a car door or any other place where a device of this kind is desirable, said seal being capable of being applied without the use of any tools whatever and when applied cannot be removed or tampered with without breaking or showing indications of the tamporing.

My device is designed to be used preferably for sealing car doors or the like and is also adapted to be used for marking stock or poultry.

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a sheet metal blank from which my invention is formed. Fig. 2 shows an end view of same. Fig. 3 shows a view like Fig. 1 with the toothed member 12 folded over. Fig. 4 shows an end view of same. Fig. 5 shows a view like Fig. 3 with the wing 13 folded over. Fig. 6 shows an end view of same. Fig. 7 shows a detail view illustrating the pocket formed complete. Fig. 8 shows an end view of same. Fig. 9 shows a side elevation, partly in section, of a complete device embodying my invention, and Fig. 10 shows an enlarged, detail, sectional view taken on the line 10-1O of Fig. 9.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 11 to indicate the long flat strip from which the loop is formed when the seal is closed as shown in Fig. 9. On one end of the strip 11 is an end folding member 12, and adjacent thereto are two side wings or folding members 13 and 14. The end folding member 12 is provided with two V shaped recesses on its opposite edges, the inner ends of which extend toward the end of said member 12 and with Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed October 31, 1910.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

Serial No. 589,912.

two barbs 16 and is designed to be folded inwardly toward the strip 11. The barbs 16 are inclined downwardly relative to the member 12 when in folded position as shown in Fig. 3. Adjacent to the opposite end of the strip 11 are two notches 17 and a head 18 on the end of the strip 11. The edges of the head 18 adjacent to the notches 17 are inclined upwardly to form lugs 19 to engage the barbs 16 as clearly shown in Fig. 10.-

In forming my device from the sheetmetal blank shown in Fig. 1, the part 12 is first folded over toward the strip 11 as shown in Fig. 3. Then the part 13 is folded over the part 12 to a point approximately at the longitudinal center of the part 12 and then extended outwardly as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The part 14 is then folded over the part 12 to a point adjacent to the edge of the part 13 and the end of the part 14 is then folded to form an inverted U-shaped flange 20 for receiving the outwardly extending end of the part 13 as clearly shown in Fig. 8. The flange 20 is designed to be corrugated or soldered along the edge of the part 14 so that the seal cannot possibly be opened or tampered with without breaking it or leaving indications of the tampering. Obviously when the parts 12, 13 and 14 are folded as just described they form a pocket, as shown in Fig. 7 into which th head 18 is designed to be inserted.

It is obvious that the device may be made in any size desired, the various sizes being designed to be used to mark stock, poultry and the like.

In practical operation the operator inserts the member 11 through an opening in the object to which the device is to be ap plied or in case it is desired to be used as a poultry mark the part 11 is passed around the leg of a bird and the head 18 is then inserted into the open end of the pocket formed by the parts 12, 13 and 1 1, as described, the head 18 passing under the part 12. The head 18 is then pushed inwardly until the lugs 19 are past the ends of the barbs 16.

The device is preferably made of some desirable spring metal so that when the head 18 is being inserted into the pocket the upwardly extending lugs 19 and the downlugs 19 Will spring upwardly into the notches 15 and the barbs 16 Will spring downwardly into the notches 17. Then force applied to the part 11, tending to draw the head 18 out of the pocket, will bring the lugs 19 into engagement with the barbs l6 and so hold the device securely locked to the object to which it is applied.

I claim as my invention:

A seal formed of a single piece of sheet metal, comprising a narrow strip, an end member thereon folded over said strip, barbs formed on said end member, two opposite side members formed on said strip adjacent to said end member and folded over upon the same, the end of one of the side members being bent outwardly away from said strip and the end of the other side member being bent outwardly away from said strip and forming at its outer end a U-shaped slot for receiving the end of the other side member, the other end of said strip being provided with opposite notches, the portion of the strip beyond the notches forming a head, said head being designed to be received between said end member and said strip so that said barbs may enter said notches and engage the sides of said head.

Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 19, 1910.

NELSON H. TUNKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

